Unionized Sheet Metal Industry Targets Veterans, Provides Direct Entry into Apprenticeship Program

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By Melissa Biernacinski During their time in the armed forces, vets spend their careers perfecting and upholding the highest standards of conduct — discipline, dedication, respect. Skills any employer would be thrilled to have in an employee. Yet, upon honorable discharge, many vets find themselves unemployed and, in some cases, not entirely sure how to transfer skills to the civilian workforce. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate among Gulf War-era II (since Sept. 11, 2001) vets is 8.3 percent for males ages 18 to 44 and, for women ages 25 to 44 (18 to 24 numbers […]

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Capstone Building Corp. Renovates Tobacco Plant into Luxury Multifamily Complex

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Preserving an old tobacco plant requires attention to detail with every part of the construction process. Due to the complexity of the renovation, general contractor Capstone Building Corp. served in a leadership role throughout the Plant 64 project in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, transforming the old RJ Reynolds tobacco plant into a luxury multifamily complex with over 400,000 square feet of usable space. Commonwealth Architects brought to the project its experience in historical renovation. Innova Service Corp. was the construction manager for the project. When construction began in August of 2013, the plans for Plant 64 had not been finalized, as […]

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Eighty-Three% of Construction Firms Struggle to Find Qualified Workers

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Most construction firms report having trouble finding qualified craft workers to fill key spots as the industry recovers from its years-long downturn, according to the results of an industry-wide survey released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials called for new career and technical school programs, as well as other workforce measures to offset the labor shortages. “As the survey results make clear, many construction firms across the country are having a hard time filling available positions,” said Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors. “Considering how much the nation’s educational focus has moved away from […]

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AEM Elects 2015 Officers, New Directors

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The Association of Equipment Manufacturers announced its newly-elected 2015 officers, as well as directors elected at its recent annual meeting to the AEM Board of Directors and AG and CE Sector Boards.AEM Officers for 2015 are: Chair John Patterson, chairman JCB USA Group and director JCB Group, JCB Inc. Vice Chair Leif Magnusson, president, CLAAS of America Treasurer Göran Lindgren, president Sales Region Americas, Volvo Construction Equipment AG Chair James Walker, vice president Case IH NAFTA, CNH Industrial CE Chair Michael Haberman, president, Gradall Industries Inc.   Secretary Dennis Slater, AEM's full-time president AEM officers and directors work on behalf […]

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Nonresidential Construction Spending Slips for Second Consecutive Month

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Nonresidential construction spending slipped 1 percent in September but has still managed to expand 4.2 percent on a year-over-year basis, according to the Nov. 1 release from the U.S. Census Bureau. Spending for the month totaled $596.1 billion on a seasonally adjusted, annualized basis while the government slightly revised the August spending figure from $603.7 billion to $601.9 billion. “September’s drop in nonresidential construction spending is disappointing given the growing momentum in the broader economy and the generally positive signals being sent by industry-specific leading economic indicators,” said Associated Builders and Contractor Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Based on a combination […]

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